I think that many apartment buildings have a coin-operated washing machine in the basement, for residents to use.

In urban areas, where there anyhow is a lot of people packed next to each other, there isn't that much reason to contact with your neighbours. People tend to make friends based on shared hobbies, values and interests - which, of course, is fine and OK.

In the post-war countryside a lot of work was shared by neighbours. Televisions were rare, so people gathered together for enjoyment - there were dances, theatre-groups, sport events and all that kind of social activities. People regularly visited each other for coffee and chat. And when the first televisions came, neighbours could gather together in one house to watch the television together... times have changed, as nowadays it feels that television is the symbol of more isolated lifestyle; there is no more need to gather together for amusements, as every family can just stay in the privacy of their own homes, watching TV.

Still, here in the countryside, living at the same area is reason enough to make contact with the others. To borrow a tool I don't have to agree on everything with my neighbour. We might vote for different parties, we might have some different values and views - but that is not a problem, as long as everybody respects the views of others. And there are some families who have very little contact with the others - that is OK too, if they want to be left alone, then so will it be.

"as long as he only wants my laundry services only less than once a month" - that is a very good point. There was a time when I wanted to be more like an hermit. And that was largely based on a fear that if I share some of my personal space with anyone, soon they will be asking for more and more, and I will find it hard to regulate how much I give away... So, let's imagine that five years ago one of my neighbours would ask: "Erkka, may I use your laundry machine once a month?" I would have replied "NO!" - fearing that if I say "yes", it will lead to more and more people asking to use my laundry machine so that soon there would be someone for every day and all of my privacy would be ruined... Uh oh, that is an irrational fear. And that fear was so strong, that I sometimes assumed the others feel the same - that's why I didn't even ask for any help.